This disclosure relates generally to intravenous catheters (e.g., vascular access devices). More specifically, this application discloses various methods for using and systems of securement dressings for vascular access devices with skin adhesive application windows. In general, vascular access devices are inserted into veins via peripheral or central vessels for diagnostic or therapeutic reasons. Vascular access devices can be used for infusing fluid (e.g., saline solution, blood, medicaments, and/or total parenteral nutrition) into a patient, withdrawing fluids (e.g., blood) from a patient, and/or monitoring various parameters of the patient's vascular system.
Intravenous (IV) catheter assemblies are among the various types of vascular access devices. Over-the-needle peripheral IV catheters are a common IV catheter configuration. As its name implies, an over-the-needle catheter is mounted over an introducer needle having a sharp distal tip. The introducer needle is generally a venipuncture needle coupled to a needle assembly that helps guide the needle and facilitates its cooperation with the catheter. At least the inner surface of the distal portion of the catheter tightly engages the outer surface of the needle to prevent peelback of the catheter and, thereby, to facilitate insertion of the catheter into the blood vessel. The catheter and the introducer needle are often assembled so that the sharp distal tip of the introducer needle extends beyond the distal tip of the catheter. Moreover, the catheter and needle are often assembled so that during insertion, the bevel of the needle faces up, away from the patient's skin. The catheter and introducer needle are generally inserted at a shallow angle through the patient's skin into a blood vessel.
Following catheterization, the intravenous catheter assembly is secured to the patient to prevent premature and/or unintended removal. Often a securement dressing is applied to the catheter insertion site to secure the catheter assembly to the patient. The securement dressing limits exposure to the catheter site, prevents contamination of the catheter site, and prevents premature and/or unintended removal of the catheter. Increasingly, skin adhesives are also applied to the catheter insertion site to further secure the intravenous catheter assembly, to seal the catheter insertion site, and/or to lengthen the time that the catheter can stay in place. Skin adhesives are not designed to replace the securement dressing, but rather to locally seal the insertion site around the catheter, to provide localized securement of the catheter at the point of insertion and in some cases provide securement to the overall catheter assembly.
Although conventional securement dressings and skin adhesives may provide a variety of benefits, they are not without their shortcomings. For example, current adhesives require time to dry before a securement dressing can be applied. This means that a clinician must first insert the catheter, and then while holding the inserted catheter in place with one hand, must use the other hand to open the adhesive container, apply the adhesive, wait for the adhesive to dry, prepare the securement dressing, and place the securement dressing. Carrying out these multiple steps while holding the catheter in place may be difficult and may result in messy and/or ineffective application of the adhesive, use of too much adhesive that can require a lengthy cleanup process for removal, inadvertent adhering of the clinician's glove or fingers to the catheter device or patient, and/or unintentional dislodging of the catheter.
Thus, while a variety of securement dressings currently exist, challenges still exist, including those listed above. Accordingly it would be an improvement in the art to augment or even replace current systems and techniques with other systems and techniques.